Recapturing Youth Through Fitness

As I approach 40, I am finding myself more nostalgic for my younger days. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family. But there are times when I look back at all the things I took for granted. Lately, I’ve been realizing that a lot of those fun things can still be done – if I can get into better shape. For instance, I doubt I would last long climbing up the side of a mountain. Is it possible to recapture youth through fitness and get some of those days back?

Why You Should Reclaim Youth Through Fitness

I don’t think I am going through a mid-life crisis. I am just tired of being the lump-on-the-log I have grown into. When I was younger, I spent far more time on my bike. In fact, I didn’t have a car until I was 22. I rode everywhere. I went bowling almost every week. I spent a great deal of time at the golf course. I do none of that now, mostly because I have turned into an out-of-shape hermit. If this sounds familiar, then at least I’m in good company.

Revitalizing Body and Mind
Fitness does more than just help you lose weight. It’s a process that can help you revitalize various aspects of your life in order to get more out of it. For example, I love to bowl. But after 10 frames, I am severely slowing down. This is mostly due to the fact that I am severely out of shape. And lets not forget about the mind. Exercise and proper eating habits can refresh how you think and drastically change your overall outlook of life itself. I am convinced that once I reach my goal weight, a lot of the depression and physical limits I have will be gone. This is based purely on the science of fitness that I have learned over the past several months.

Living Longer
Fitness can help reduce stress while making the body more resilient to injury and diseases. I don’t know about you, but I relish in the thought of being immortal. I know I’m not, but why not try? At any rate, I have too much that I want to do still. It’s more than just gaining my youth through fitness so I can act like a 20-year old. It’s the fact that I want to see and do so much that I don’t want to miss out on anything. If I die from a heart attack brought on by obesity, then my plans are ruined.

Getting More Out of Life
There is more to life than just sitting on the couch watching Netflix. Yes, I play a lot of games and watch a lot of TV, but I also want to get out and do stuff. I would love to get involved on a local sports team. I would love to climb to the top of Machu Picchu in Peru. All of this starts by getting myself into the physical shape needed to do all of these things. You don’t have to settle on living the rest of your days isolated to your house – regardless of how old you are. Even if you think you’ve done it all, there is always something more out there.

How to Get Some of Those Years Back

When looking to get back your youth through fitness, you’ll need to change your mindset. At least, I know I do. I need to realize that 40 isn’t necessarily the end of my younger years. As the body slows down, it takes more effort to do things. However, this doesn’t mean I should simply roll over and let time take control of my life.

Going Beyond Your Own Beliefs
A few months ago, I believed I was too old to do any of the things I loved in the past. Yes, I am Generation X and love video games. But it’s more than just playing that I miss. It’s the physical stuff that I got the most enjoyment out of. You haven’t lived until you’ve done 30 miles per hour on a mountain bike in busy traffic. It’s the beliefs of getting too old is when you start slowing down. If you want to claim some of your youth through fitness, you need to first change your mindset. You need to know that you’re never too old to enjoy the things you love to do…no matter how immature others may think you are.

Finding Exercise Routines That Work for You
It’s real easy to get hurt when trying to do too much when you’re as out of shape as I am. This is why it’s important to start with a logical routine and build yourself up. Pushing too hard can not only hurt you physically, but it can also fill you mind with the feeling of self-doubt. It’s when you start thinking you can’t do it is when you will fail. Get into healthier routines that are conducive to your health and your way of life. For me, it’s going to be working out twice per day at 30-minute intervals: once in the morning and then again when I get home from work. What works best for your schedule?

Eating the Right Foods
Food does more than merely fill your stomach. Some things can help you feel much better throughout your day. For instance, a lot of people experience a more alert and energetic feeling simply by increasing proteins first thing in the morning. If fact, this has also been know to greatly benefit children who have Attention Deficit Disorder. My daughter is far more alert and attentive when she has an egg or two for breakfast. The B-complex vitamins also help convert the foods you eat into energy, which boosts your physical and mental fitness. The right foods can do a great deal to help you gain youth through fitness.

While you may not be able to reclaim everything from your childhood, getting into better shape will help you feel much younger than you do now. At least, it has in my case. Even losing 10 pounds has made a difference in how I feel about myself. Go beyond what others think and give your body the chance to feel young again. It’s never too late to squeeze out a few extra years on your life span by paying closer attention to your body’s needs.

Michael Brockbank

Michael is a work at home father who has completed a wide assortment of writing regarding various topics. Currently, he is working to achieve a weight loss goal and improve health in order to cross the state of Colorado on bicycle.